After hosting the very same event in 2023, the Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships makes its triumphant return to Timmins, Ont., beginning Sunday, Feb. 8, as the familiar host welcomes 42 of the country’s best youth curling squadrons to the McIntyre Curling Club.
With 21 male and 21 female teams vying for their respective national championship, the seven-day event, concluding Feb. 14, will see Canada’s brightest future stars on one of the world’s largest youth curling stages.
And while the 2026 iteration of the Canadian U-18 championship will be the first exposure to national competition for some of the athletes, others are returning to the stage with podium aspirations and a score to settle. On the female side, Team Alberta #1 third Savannah Dutka (Beaumont) and Team Alberta #2 third Molly Whitbread, alongside fellow Team Alberta #2 second Camryn Adams (Leduc/Red Deer), were all runners-up in last year’s female final with then skip Abby Desormeau, losing out to Nova Scotia’s Cassidy Blades.
On the male side, Team Ontario #1 skip Tyler MacTavish (Waterloo) will have another crack at U-18 gold after losing the final to Zach Atherton of Nova Scotia in 2025. MacTavish will have several pieces of his silver-medal winning squad with him in Timmins, made up by lead Liam Rowe and second Alec Symeonides.
The host province of Northern Ontario will have deep representation with two male and two female teams in the field. For the male side, Skip Riley Winters helms Team Northern Ontario #1 (North Bay) while Jacob Curtis lead Team Ontario #2 (Thunder Bay). For the female side, Skip Lily Wright of Team Northern Ontario #1 (Kakabeka Falls) will lead her team alongside third/vice-skip Bella McCarville, who recently wrapped up a stint at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts at Mississauga, Ont., as Team Northern Ontario alternate for her mother and skip Krista Scharf, while Rhya Baker captains Team Northern Ontario #2 (Temiskaming Shores).
The provincial and territorial male and female Under-18 champions from Curling Canada’s 14 Member Associations (10 provinces, three territories, Northern Ontario) received invitations to compete in Timmins. The hosting Member Association, the Northern Ontario Curling Association, gets a second invitation to the event. Lastly, the top six ranked Member Associations based on the standings of the previous two events also received invitations (rankings exclude the Host Member Association).
Since the event’s inception in 2017, save for two COVID-19 cancelled seasons in 2020 and 2021, Nova Scotia sits atop the male total-medal count with seven; two gold, three silver and two bronze. Alberta leads the way in female play with five total medals; two gold, two silver and one bronze.
Tickets for the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championship are still available for purchase by clicking here.
Live scoring, rosters, and draw schedule details can be found at the event website by clicking here.
